My second stop in the Foodie Fanch lunch stop in Branson series was Food Near Me Bistro & Bar.
A restaurant in the center of town, but I’m certain many locals are unaware of it. Located at the end of Tanger Outlet Mall, next to Loft, this place offers an easy in and out for a meal. They are known for their hand-pressed burgers, wings, sandwiches, salads, comfort-food entrees, cocktails, and desserts, which is perfect, because I love a good sandwich!
Josh Clark, the station leader for Legends 106.3 and the host of The Upside with Josh and Them, was my special guest. We arrived at 11 a.m. on Thursday as they had just opened. I had been here once before with my wife and had a BLT sandwich that has been saved in my memory bank ever since and had me wanting to get back here. The place is set up with booths and tables and has a bar area with TVs. They also have a bunch of old school games you can grab and play at your table as well. We grabbed our table and asked Erin, our waitress, for their recommendations.
Erin started us off with their Bavarian Pretzel for an appetizer. It’s a beautiful toasted golden brown on the outside and fluffy and has stretch factor as pulls apart with the softness on the inside. It’s served with the most luxurious beer cheese; so orange and creamy you will want to drink it because you don’t want any of that left behind.
For the entrees, they brought out a French Onion Burger, Chopped Cheese Sandwich, and the Drunken Chicken Parm. The burger is an amazing half pound beef patty with caramelized onions and a garlic aioli sauce served with their very crispy crinkle fries. What a flavor overload of a dish.
Next up was the Chopped Cheese Sandwich, with an upgraded side of their fried Mac and Cheese Bites. Yes, Josh and I went in for the bites first and didn’t care that they were still hot inside. These things are out of this world and have a little kick, but I would eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or out of a shoe!
Now, the sandwich itself is a pile of premium beef on top of romaine lettuce with melted cheese, tomatoes and special sauce on a hoagie bun. I told Josh this is my favorite and might have taken over my memory of that BLT.
To the Drunken Chicken Parm we slowly move. Josh has been hugging it since it came to the table, so he goes first and he’s floored, and says I’m going to love it. It has this great, crispy breaded chicken with melted cheeses and a wonderful vodka sauce over penne pasta that is just divine. I only got a few samples before, out of nowhere, Josh just slams the whole bowl clean. What a friend!
Our biggest takeaway is just how complete each plate is. You don’t just get a nice sandwich with a bland side of fries thrown in. Every single component is delicious, flavorful and given special attention. What a great place to bring a family, bring friends, stop while you shop, or hang out with the guys while girls’ shop, you name it. Meanwhile, we are going to crawl out of here and I’ll be coming back several times.
I’m giving it a 9.79 on the Official Foodie Fanch Napometer.
The Presentation, Flavor, Atmosphere, and Nap afterwards were all complete components of the Foodie Fanch experience.
Come and visit Christine Chambers at this family-owned restaurant. Food Near Me Bistro & Bar is located next to Loft at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Branson. They open daily at 11 am.
